Investigation uncovers systematic neglect of drainage systems by CCC
In August 2020 St Neots was hit by flash flooding, that caused damage and distress to residents and businesses. Immediately after the floods, resident Tim Wylie and I discovered that most of the Town Centre drains were full of silt and plant matter. It is clear that these blocked drains directly contributed to the extent and severity of the flooding experienced by residents and businesses.
I immediately demanded an urgent enquiry into this situation by Cambridgeshire County Council. I also conducted a social media campaign to encourage residents to report blocked drains in St Neots and the surrounding villages. As a consequence of this campaign, residents submitted 140 separate reports of blocked drains to CCC.
In early December 2020, I was shocked to discover that all of these reports had been closed as “Resolved” without any of the drains being cleaned. In most cases, CCC deleted the reports altogether, without notifying the resident that had submitted them.
Working together with Mr Wylie, we submitted a Freedom of Information Request to Cambridgeshire County Council to find out when St Neots drains had last been routinely cleaned. Shockingly the answer is that there had been no routine clearance of drains for more than five years.
This represents systematic, deliberate neglect, which, in my opinion, has exacerbated the flooding of homes and businesses.
Mr Wylie and I set up a Facebook Group called “St Neots Drain Watch” that allows the community to log and track the progress of block drain reports, and now has over 500 members.
I also took my complaints to the Press, which were published in the Hunts Post:
Here are my quotes from the article:
“After the August flood, I asked residents to report blocked drains to CCC. In late November all of those reports were marked as ‘resolved’ and deleted from the system, despite the fact that the drains remained blocked.
“We estimate that 150 blocked drain reports were closed in St Neots alone without action. I have had reports of similar problems in Abbotsley, Waresly and Great Gransden.”Cllr Stephen Ferguson talking to the Hunts Post
“This is indicative of systematic neglect by Cambridgeshire County Council towards the people of St Neots and the surrounding villages. “
As a consequence of this campaign CCC have committed to clean all of the drains in St Neots before the end of January 2021. Many “drain gulcher” trucks have been spotted around St Neots for the first time in years, which is great news. However, it was too late the many residents who were flooded over Christmas.
